Being A Swan
by Lonely Scarecrow
Summary: "The thing about Swan men: They fall. Fast and hard, they fall for the first girl that shows interest." - AU, human!Edward/vampire!Bella. Kind of serious Anti-Twilight stuff...you have been warned.
1. Prologue: Because I'm a Swan

**Surprised? So am I. **

**So I've been really obsessed with the idea of messing around with Edward's character. I hate the guy, I don't know why I'm trying to redeem him, and I don't know if it's working, but it's actually fun :P I know, I still can't believe I'm starting something Edward-centric and loving it! I tried doing that a very long time ago, but I hated it. I was forcing myself to update, and in the end I just gave up on it and killed it. **

**But this time it's different! **

**Ahem. **

**So, in this AU version of Twilight (I know it's been done a lot, but give me a chance!) Edward's the hormone-fighting, stubborn seventeen year old human and Bella's the vampire. The latter is pretty much in character most of the time, but Edward might be OCC to most of you. Remember, he's a seventeen year old, modern-day American teenager. Although I'm not convinced that Bella's original character is fitting with that of a supposedly normal, non-prodigal teenager ('holy crow?') I can still let it slide and say that, GENERALLY, women are more mentally developed than men (no offence!) But I refuse, REFUSE to make Edward think like Sherlock Holmes or talk like Edgar Allan Poe, even if he likes the series and the poet. **

**It's just too wrong -.- **

**ANYWAY. **

**You might encounter a number of things you won't like, such as: **

**Crazy, non-canon pairings.**

**Character deaths. **

**Anti-Twilight-ness, anti-imprinting and anti-Cullen-ness. **

**Lots of twists.**

**Lots of Volturi :D **

**Angst! **

**Vampires being vampires. **

**Aaaaaaaaand its AU! Meaning, most of the things that happened in the actual Twilight books won't happen in this fic with just Edward being Bella's shoes. I'll borrow a FEW things for the sake of it being Twilight, but that's just about it. Everything else is made up from the dark corners of my mind ^_^ **

**Oh, and it's rated T for Edward...being a teenager XD **

**Now enjoy the very whiny prologue :D **

My dad once told me that if I loved something I have to let it go. It'll come back if it loved me, and if it didn't then it just wasn't meant to be.

I'm not even sure if he got that right. He should, because he learned it the hard way.

But what am I supposed to do when the thing- person, rather, doesn't return? Yea, I get it, it isn't meant to be. But then what? What should I do then, look for someone else that may or may not return? Why should they return, anyway, when she whom I've known and believed for so long to have been the one left me?

Don't give me that look, ok? I'm not gay. I'm seventeen years old, I'm practically a ginger, and I just got dumped by my girlfriend of two and a half years. So yea, I have every damn right to be sappy to a certain degree.

But allow me to elaborate on the few points I made there, and talk about a very important one at the end.

I turned seventeen almost a month ago. I'm not some super-smart teenager that has perfect control over his raging hormones, but I guess that my grades are good enough to get me into a decent university. I don't make a habit of spraying my pants whenever a really hot girl sits next to me in class. However, my hormones are still evil.

My hair is not _exactly _red, but it's very close to being red. I don't know; it's this really weird shade of red-brown. It's usually always messy, sticking out all over the place as if it was never introduced to a hair brush or gel. I was never bullied for its bizarre color, so I don't think I can be classified as a ginger...god, I hope that didn't sound as bad as I think. Anyway, my eyes are green, my eyebrows are thick like my dad's, Jessica says that I have a really nice smile, and I'm around 6'2 tall. I don't have abs and I'm not toned, but I do workout at least once or twice a week.

So am I just plain good-looking, hot, sexy, whatever? You be the judge.

As for my now ex-girlfriend...she dumped me. Six months ago, three months before our final exams and summer vacation. She was probably being considerate, giving me enough time to mope so I could later concentrate on my finals. It worked. Kind of. The finals were distractions, and once they were over I was back to the never ending Why's and What If's.

We've been together for over two years. Well, more like on-and-off for two and a half years. But god, I was crazy about her! I was actually thinking about a future with her, and I thought that she did too, but apparently she had other plans that didn't include me.

_"Sorry Ed, it's just not working out for me." _

What the hell is that supposed to mean?

Ok, I get it. We had a long history together, stretched to a time way before we officially got together, there were a lot of bumps in our relationship, but don't I deserve a better explanation with respect to our pasts?

Mike keeps telling me to get over it. I can't. Taylor's really sorry. I gave him a smile for trying to be less awkward. Eric invited me to his chess tournaments to keep me busy. I thought of her every time I zoned out. It didn't really help, but I told him it did.

I'm such a mess!

No, it's not my fault. I'm not sappy and melodramatic and gay minus the actual definition and the guy-loving part. I'm Edward Anthony Masen _Swan._

God, I hate it. My name, that is. _Especially _the Swan part.

Don't get me wrong, I love my dad. I just hate that we're both Swans.

As for having two middle names, that was my mom being a selfish bitch.

You see, she couldn't decide between Edward and Anthony- names fitting for grandfathers, I might add. –and my dad wanted a part of my name to be Masen, because Masen Swan was his uncle that had recently died, and that uncle was really more like a father to him than an uncle. But remember, my mother's a selfish bitch. She wanted to pick both first and middle names, and although my dad was always lenient with her, he kept insisting on Masen.

After many arguments, the decided to compromise: use both!

And thus Edward Anthony Masen Swan was born...and he is not impressed.

As for being a Swan: it's a curse.

I may look more like my mother and nothing like my father, but I'm a pure, typical Swan on the inside.

Now let me tell you about Swan men, and the horrors of being one. They're usually nice, honorable, courageous and chivalrous. They're average, rarely stand out in crowds, and are ok with that because they hate the spotlight.

Sounds good so far, doesn't it? Sit back and relax, I'm just warming up.

Swan men are gullible to such a degree that it's laughable. People use them all the time because of that. As for being courageous? Yea, they become that to do a really stupid yet dangerous thing that, in their eyes, is courageous. To some people it may be that, but in reality it's just plain stupid. In dangerous situations they'd act on impulse and do the thinking later. They're really awkward, usually shy and clumsy (thank god I didn't inherit that!) and the worst thing about being a Swan?

Ha. That's my absolute _favorite. _

They fall. Fast and hard, they fall for the first girl that shows interest in them. With me I think it's a hundred times worse, but...whatever.

And they're always getting their hearts broken because they're gullible and impulsive and hopeless romantics.

I wasted your time whining about my love life instead of talking about the horrors of being a Swan. I apologize for that, but you see, I can't just _talk _about being a Swan. You'll never get it. You have to _see_ it for yourself.

So now you know the basics. I'll remind you anyway.

My name's Ed Swan. Don't call me with any other name, because I really hate my other names. I'm seventeen years old, about to start my junior year in high school. My dad's the chief of police, and we're both living together in Forks, Washington. My mother left us eleven years ago for some rich guy that traveled a lot. I don't think I've mentioned the last two, but here you go. Now you know.

I'm going back to school tomorrow. First days are not bad for me. I'm not a new student; I don't have anything to worry about. Or I do, since I'll be running into my ex again, and I just know that Mike will make a show about it.

He's such a dick. I don't know why I'm friends with him.

Or maybe I do. Underneath all that asshole-ness is an awesome dude that knows how to have fun, and he _can _be a good friend when he really tries.

We'll talk more about him later. Now, let's get back to my ex.

I couldn't really get her out of my head. For a week I've been excited, good excited and bad, about seeing her again after three long months. I guess I've missed her in more ways than one during the holidays. I don't know if she felt the same, she was traveling a lot to hotter and sunnier countries, and I was being a typical Swan and thinking about feigning an illness and missing the first day. In other words, chickening out.

I tried to test that on my dad a couple of days ago. He didn't buy it. On top of being my dad he's a _cop_, why did I even bother?

And that's when he told me about that 'loving something and letting it go' crap. He said a bunch of other things later, I think I caught something about a new doctor in town, but I didn't bother to listen to most of it.

I'm definitely seeing her again tomorrow.

But, on the bright side, things won't get any worse from there. Right?

**Hmmm...thoughts? Love, like, hate? Don't be shy :D *says a very desperate, very paranoid Volturi fanfic writer* **


	2. Edweirdo and the Horrors of Eye-Contact

**Oh dear god. I have been terrible with this. I stopped at the prologue, even though I had many, many ideas for it. I'm really sorry. I don't know what happened. I had an idea of how the first chapter starts, but I really couldn't get it down, and in the end my frustration got the better of me…I'm really sorry :( **

**But there's good news :D I'm back! I was never going to abandon this, I promise, I just needed to get distracted for a bit (and I took it too far, I admit) but I promise I won't let it happen again. If I ever felt like I'm abandoning/deleting it, I'll let you know, but as far as I'm concerned this story's staying ^_^ **

**Enjoy the- FINALLY! –first chapter :D and please, let me know what you think! It's really important that I get Edward's character right without bashing him (I'm sorry, but I hate the guy -.- I really cant help it.) and remember: He's supposed to be slightly OOC and nothing like Canon-Edward. He is, after all, a modern-day teenager.**

**And that's it, I guess :P enjoy!**

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><p>"You're looking again," Mike sighed, closing his locker.<p>

I quickly stuck my head in my own locker, pretending to look for a book. I probably looked silly, given that it's the first day and, so far, we have only received two books. "No way, man! You're hung over."

"Nice try, but the last party I've been to was Melissa Stewart's, and that was a month ago."

Here's a weird Mike Newton fact: he only drinks in parties. Jessica and I believe that it will change in college, or when his mom gets so pissed with how wasted he becomes that she decides that she no longer gives a shit about the law and beats the alcohol out of his system for good.

I raised a brow. "_You _haven't been to a party in a _month_?"

He glared at me. "I was grounded, ok? Don't judge me. And don't try to change the subject! Eduardo, you were so looking-"

"I was _not!" _I snapped. "And don't call me that."

He scoffed. "Fine, sir Stare-A-Lot."

"Don't try to play with words, man. You suck at it."

"And you suck at lying."

"I'm not lying."

"Aha! There, you did it again!"

"Will you _stop_?"

He gave me his signature victory grin, leaning against his locker and folding his arms over his chest. "I will as soon as you admit it."

I sighed, closing my own locker. I turned towards him and away from the subject of my interest. "So what if I was? I haven't seen her all summer."

His large grin was replaced with a disapproving frown. "She dumped you six months ago, Ed. If she wanted you back, it would've happened by now. Just let her go already."

I glanced behind my shoulders, at her back facing me. She had cut her pale blond hair short. It came as a surprise to me, because she had always loved her hair long. Besides that, she got a nice, light tan, I'm guessing from the many beaches and sunny countries she's been to. Nothing else changed about her. Her style was pretty much the same; nothing over-the-top or cheap and messy.

She was talking to Jessica, one of my closest friends and Mike's girlfriend of eleven months. Her shoulders shook as she giggled at something Jessica said.

She didn't even look for me, and I spent all morning searching for her face or voice in the crowd. She really is over me, I realized as the same suffocating bile rose in my throat.

Jessica caught my eyes, and her expressions instantly changed from that of joy to sympathy. I quickly turned back to Mike just as Lauren was about to follow her line of view, awkwardly shifting my bag over my shoulder and nudging him forward. He didn't move.

"I'm fine," I insisted.

He nodded, even though he didn't look convinced. "I'm waiting for Jessica."

I glanced at Jessica, and saw that Lauren was looking at me. I didn't even wait for her to react, or to read her expression myself. I turned away a once. Whether I was getting a glare or a smile, I just didn't know how I'd react to it.

"You can go ahead if you want." He added. "We'll meet in biology."

So, when a Swan is offered a chance to an easy route out, what does he do? He not only takes it, he _embraces _it, especially when he's heartbroken and acting like the famous fainting-and-crying-rivers-of-tears chic from a soap opera show. Oh, and I was going to, believe me.

Nothing was ever going to prepare me for what was coming next. Or, rather, any other teenager roaming those halls.

The kids that were scattered all over the place, laughing and shoving each other, started quieting down until their voices were reduced to whispers, and a few whistles and wolf-howls were heard from the obnoxious lot of the male population. Soon enough, the girls were giggling flirtatiously, and I could see that the few closer to us were already blushing.

Mike and I exchanged very startled, very confused looks.

"The hell is going on with Forks High's student body?" asked Mike, trying to peek over everyone's head. "Did someone bring a celebrity?"

"What is it?" I mouthed at Jessica.

She didn't look at me. If I wasn't mistaken, I think she was starting to blush.

I couldn't really describe it…or _them. _The people crowding the halls were parting and making way for the new kids to pass, as if they were ancient Greek gods that would strike them dead if they unpleased them.

Yes, I know I sound crazy, but that's what they appeared to be. And not just in looks, but also in the way they walked with their heads held high, backs straight, steps light, and eyes staring blankly ahead. Every movement of theirs was extremely elegant, every item of clothing worn looked even more expensive than my car, Mike's, and Jessica's combined.

Even I was taken when they passed by us. They were five in total, two guys and three girls, all so ridiculously beautiful my mind was completely taken off of Lauren and my broken heart. If Mike had commented on the girls' shapely bodies or the guys' muscular physic, I didn't hear him. I've never seen anything like them before. I was too captivated.

They were all so _pale, _almost as white as marble. If they weren't moving I would've easily mistaken them for statues.

The first two that passed us were a big, brawny guy that I actually had to look up at (and I happen to be tall, mind you.) with a head full of dark curly hair. This is going to sound too clichéd, especially when I'm talking about a guy with muscles bulging out of every part of his body, but his hand was latched to a curvy blond that probably earned all the whistles and wolf-howls…and I briefly wondered how the guy took it, or if the idiots that whistled and howled noticed him. But how could they not?! He's huge _and _intimidating!

The pair that followed them was…peculiar, I could say, but equally as beautiful. The guy was a blond, his hair long and messy but in a stylish way that suited his angular face. Come to think of it, he was actually the only one that behaved like a _real _newcomer. He had that tense, rigid manner in which he moved and those slightly panicked, guarded eyes that often flickered at the hypnotized faces staring at him. Holding his hand was a tiny girl with an elfin-like figure and short, spiky black hair that was the _exact _opposite of the dude. She looked like she was made from energy! She seemed to dance even as she walked, and although, like the rest, she didn't look at anyone she passed, she still had a smile on her face. Now that I think about it, she was the _only _one smiling…

The last one surprised me. For starters, her head was bowed; her long, brown curls nearly covering her face. She walked alone behind the rest, even though she seemed to want to be out of here first. Her hands were both gripping her messenger bag's strap as if her life depended on it, and when I looked closer I saw that she was nervously chewing on her bottom lip.

She was so unlike them, even in the way she dressed. While they strutted in labels worth hundreds of dollars an item, she wore a simple white sweater under a grey hoodie with jeans and a pair of old sneakers. Her hair was probably done in the same casual manner, simply brushed, not spiked with layers of gel and hairspray or blown dried and straightened.

I assumed at first that she wasn't related to the group, that they had met before coming and decided to go together. But then she looked at me, and I knew straight away that I'd be crazy to believe that she didn't come from where they came from.

I don't know what prompted her to look at me of all people. I mean, sure, I tend to do stupid things around pretty girls as often as the next idiot, but I wouldn't go as far as whistling or cheap pick-up lines, especially in school and to a new student. But, for some reason, she slowed her steps as she neared us, and didn't seem to care that the others were getting ahead of her.

Slowly, almost hesitantly, she looked up at me, her face blank.

The whispers rose, but she didn't seem to care.

I immediately took in her features, something I did every time I met a new person. She had a heart-shaped face, a small, but full uneven lips, a tiny nose, dark eyebrows and wide, half-lidded golden eyes that looked like they missed a few night's sleep.

Yep, you heard right. She had eyes that were not honey brown or yellow, but _gold. _

They took me completely off guard. Normally I'd look away to make things less awkward, but this time I really couldn't. If I were asked to describe them with one word, I'd choose unearthly, because that's what they were! Beautiful, I admit, as is everything else about her, but _unreal. _They looked like they were literally made of smoldering, melted gold.

Do they actually sell contact lenses in that color, or am I so sleep-deprived that I'm starting to hallucinate?

For a long time she didn't say anything. Her expression didn't change. She tilted her head slightly, and I opened my mouth to say speak. Something akin to alarm settled into her features. She quickly bowed her head and walked a bit faster until she caught up with her group.

I stared after her until she disappeared into the principal's office, not once looking back at me.

Was she even looking at me in the first place? There were a lot of people standing close…

No, she did. She looked straight into my eyes, I'm sure of it.

"Whoa," breathed Mike, breaking the tension.

I suddenly realized that he didn't, that people were already talking about it in voices that were much louder than before.

"Man, what would I do to get my hands on that blonde's killer body!"

"Oh my god, was that an LV purse, the one coming _next month_? How the hell did she get her hands on it?!"

"Forget the bag, look at her _hair! _It's so daring, and it looks so good on her! I would never cut mine that short!"

"Ugh, why does he have to have a girlfriend? He's _sooooo _hot!"

"Hey, the girl with short hair really is cute. I wonder if she'd go out with me~"

"Moron, you already have a girlfriend."

"I know, and she obviously has a boyfriend. I'm allowed to dream, ok?"

I shook my head. When was the last time the students of Forks High were _ever _this excited over new students, or good-looking people in general? We _do _have attractive people in our school, believe it or not, but we rarely get a new student once or twice a year, let alone five beautiful kids in one go.

Jessica eventually caught up with us, maneuvering her way through the crowed. She shook my arm to get my attention, and until she did I didn't realize that I was still staring at the principal's closed door.

"Huh?" I breathed, shook my head again, and cleared my throat. "I'm sorry, what?"

She raised an eyebrow, a suggestive smile tugging at the corner of her pink, gloss-coated lips. "Do you know that girl?"

I snorted. Like I'd forget eyes like hers. "Of course not. Why do you ask?"

"Dude!" Mike slapped my shoulder so hard I nearly fell over Jessica. "Why didn't you ever tell me that you knew the Cullens?"

"Mike, what the hell?!" I rubbed my shoulder, glaring at him. "That hurts. And I said I don't know her."

"Cullens?" Gasped Jessica, her brown eyes widening with sudden interest. "_Those _are _the _Cullens?"

Mike shrugged. "I guess they are."

"Who are the Cullens?" I asked.

The looked at me in a way they'd look at a guy that came from the Stone Ages.

After a while of them just staring at me, I was starting to feel extremely uncomfortable. God, I hate it when they do that.

"What?" I asked a bit frantically. "What did I miss?"

"What did you _miss?" _Jessica repeated, sounding even more shocked than she looked. "Ed, where have you been hiding in the past two weeks?"

_Home, _I wanted to say. Lauren had been in Forks since then. But instead I glared at her. "I wasn't hiding."

Mike snorted. "Yes you were."

"Oh, screw you!"

"You see what staying in for two weeks does to you? You're not swearing like a real man!"

"My dad's a cop. Sue me."

"You're dad's fine. You, Eduardo, are weird."

"Stop calling me that."

"Fine, Edweirdo."

"Seriously man, are you high?"

"No way! You know I don't do that shit."

"Good. Then there's no reason for you to continue calling me that."

"Yea, who's going to stop me? Grandpa Edweirdo?"

"More like a Swan fist down your throat."

"Guys!" Jessica groaned, shoving her way between us and throwing her arms over our shoulders, forcing us down a little so that our shoulders touched hers. Has she always been this short? Well, she wasn't exactly as short as that Cullen girl with spiky hair, but still…"Knock it off, both of you."

Mike sneaked a kiss on her cheek. "I'm sorry, baby. I'm just trying to get my buddy to quit with the obsessed, love-struck syringe Lauren made him use."

I rolled my eyes. "Jesus, Jess, what do you see in him? You and I would've been Forks High's Golden Couple."

She giggled. "Sorry Ed, finders keepers. Although, we still have two more years of high school…you never know what might happen." She winked.

"I really hate you guys," Mike grumbled.

Jessica and I laughed.

So, Jessica and I have been friends since pre-school. Actually, Mike and Lauren were with us as well, but I didn't like Mike because he kept pushing me into muddy puddles and Jessica didn't like Lauren because she had prettier hair, so we teamed up in our hatred and replaced the egg and mayo in their homemade sandwiches with glue and yellow clay.

We got caught pretty quickly, especially when they started having stomach cramps and throwing up all over the place. Charlie made me confess pretty easily. Jessica was a typical 'Daddy's Girl', so her punishment at home wasn't as severe as mine (you just don't take a kid's Nintendo away for a week, ok? It's worse than spanking, trust me.) and we got to spend our time together in the Naughty Corner for almost a week, until Mike and Lauren decided to forgive us and plead on our behalf.

Yes, we were terrible children. Mike was just messing around, and Lauren just happened to be a bit richer than Jessica. But hey, we got along great afterwards, and today is proof of it.

Well, sort of.

Anyway, before I continue straying, let's get back to Jessica.

I guess I could say that she's the closest of my friends. Don't get me wrong, the guys are great, and I cannot say enough about Lauren because I'm pretty sure that I'll start straying again, but Jessica is just different. She understands me even when I'm finding it difficult to understand myself, and she's been there for me through all the crap I've been through, starting from my mom leaving, my dad's drinking problems, and Lauren.

Now when you get high school and a guy and a girl that simply happened to be that close, everyone would start assuming that they're meant to be, and that's exactly what happened. The girls in in her home economics class started complementing me in front of her in an attempt to make her jealous – It didn't work. She was pretty amused, though. – and the guys in PE kept asking if I 'scored' lately.

So when word got out that Lauren and I were dating, everyone was literally too shocked to say anything to either one of us. There were rumors flying around about how Lauren 'stole' me from Jessica, and how I was 'betraying' her and 'breaking her heart' by dating her best friend. Later on they pretty much got over it. That is, until Jessica and Mike started dating a year or so later.

Of course, those rumors meant absolutely nothing to us. We even laughed out loud whenever a kid was pushed to ask us about them. However, Mike had his limits, especially when it gets to how Jessica and I were preferred together. He'd snap at the whispers, but he never once fought with Jessica or me over it. Still, for a while it was upsetting him.

Now that everyone's clearly over it, Jessica and I have been using it to pick on him whenever he thinks its ok to go too far. But don't worry, it doesn't bother him as much as it used to. He knows we're messing with him.

"So," I began, steering the conversation back to our main topic. "Who are the Cullens?"

She released out shoulders as we started walking towards biology. "Well, Mr. Cave Man, the Cullens are new in town. They came all the way from Alaska, although Dr. Cullen is originally from England and Mrs. Cullen's from Ohio. Those are their kids."

"Their _kids?" _I nearly chocked on the word, my eyes automatically getting wider. "But they're _dating!_" I paused. "…are they?"

She rolled her eyes. "Let me finish. Yes, they are dating, but it's ok because they're not related. Well, except for the blonds, they're twins that were originally with Mrs. Cullen before she met Dr. Cullen."

"Oh."

"And hear this; Dr. Cullen is apparently a surgeon with magic fingers! He's one of the best in his field, wanted in big hospitals all over the States, and I heard that he was paid by the millions to perform a tricky operation on some European billionaire." She paused for dramatic effect, smirking at our expression. "And what do you know, the operation was a success, and he's only like, thirty-three or something."

"Wow," Mike and I said in union.

"But what is he doing here," I asked, "if he's getting all these great offers so many different States and all over Europe?"

She shrugged. "My mom says that Mrs. Cullen really likes this town, and he's the saint-y type of doctor that does what he does to actually cure people, not to empty their pockets and fill his own."

"All doctors should be like that," I said. I saw Mike nodding in agreement.

The guy seemed as unreal as his children's beauty. I'm not saying I'm unimpressed, on the contrary, I think he's great and I haven't even met him yet. It's just that this whole thing had a weird feel to it. I don't know, maybe it's because I still wasn't over what I just saw, and coupled with this and the fact that I barely got any sleep the night before…

It's all in my head, I thought.

Yes, I didn't miss the fact that Jessica didn't go into details about the brunette Cullen. But what more could I expect from her? She has given me enough. And it's not like I was starting to like the brunette or anything. Heck, I don't even know the girl's name! I'm a guy, I'm just as hypnotized by her as every other guy in the hall.

Besides, I'm still very much in love with Lauren. I'm sure of it.

She smiled. "Then I guess we're lucky to have him."

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><p><strong>Thoughts? Anyone? <strong>


	3. My Lab Partner, the Ultimate Chic Magnet

**I… should've been studying ; A ; I have an exam coming up. But I couldn't help it! Those plot bunnies won't leave me alone! Also, I thought I'd treat you guys and be a nice updater for a change :D **

**R&R and enjoy!**

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><p>The clock was driving me crazy. I've been staring at it for nearly ten minuets, and for some reason that made me sleepy.<p>

The students around me were noisy beyond measures, apparently still catching up with friends they missed over the summer. Jessica and Mike were sitting a couple of rows behind me, and the chair of my biology lab partner was empty, as was the teacher's desk. We were getting a new biology teacher, Jessica had said.

I sighed, leaning back against my chair and staring out the window for a change.

"_So they're _all _adopted?" _I had asked just before we got in class.

Mike groaned. _"Are we still talking about the Cullens?" _

Jessica seemed happy that I brought it up again. _"Yea, the brunettes were with Dr. Cullen_ _and the blond twins were with Mrs. Cullen, whom Dr. Cullen later adopted when he married their mother. Hale, I think their last names were…" _

"_So…they're from a previous husband of Mrs. Cullen?" _I pressed.

Jessica shrugged. _"I guess, I don't know. My mom's been trying to get close and friendly with them ever since they got here, but…I don't know, they're just really shy…or really, really private." _She snorted. _"You know how nosy my mom gets." _Her expression turned serious for a moment when she looked at me. She then smiled cheekily and nudged my ribs with her elbow_. "I gotta ask, Ed. why the sudden interest? I thought _I _was the gossiping member of this group!"_

Exactly…_why _was I so interested all of a sudden?

Then again, I tend to over-think things when they're really too simple to ponder over so fixatedly.

My lab partner barged in, looking panic-stricken for a moment, only to release a loud relieved breath upon seeing the teacher's desk empty. He peaked over the heads of still-moving juniors, most likely looking for me. He looked comical with his hands shielding his squinting brown eyes from the imaginary, blinding-type of sunlight found in _anywhere _but Forks.

I chuckled under my breath.

"Riley!" I waved at him.

He grinned and sauntered over, making at least two girls stop and stare for a second too long. "Hey, Ed! You look absolutely-" he took his seat and paused, scanning my features and wincing. "-pale. Absolutely pale."

"Good to see you too, man." I muttered, glaring at his perfectly tanned skin.

Was I the only one that caved in during the summer? Am I really _that _pathetic?

He raised both hands defensively. "I'm just worried about you, ok? Look, video games are cool and all, but you _do_ need a little bit of 3D action in your life. It's only healthy-"

"I didn't waste my summer on video games," I cut in. "That was Eric. Believe it or not, I actually did a few productive things."

"Yea, like what?"

"Well…I went fishing with my dad."

He raised a brow. "Fishing?"

"Don't judge me."

He laughed. "Fine, fine. You have your hobbies, I have mine. What else did you do?"

I opened my mouth, readily accepting the challenges, only to freeze when I realized that I actually had very _few _'productive' things done. "W-well, I pretty much spent the entire summer in La Push. Besides that, I worked for my dad. You know, I thought it'd look good on my applications in a year or so…" I mumbled, nervously scratching the back of my neck and resisting the urge to look away in shame, because knowing Riley, he probably had the Ultimate Summer Vacation, as he does almost every year.

To my surprise, he looked highly impressed. "_Seriously? _Dude! That's so _cool! _You got to work with the police? Ah, to think that you actually got to arrest people-!"

I shook my head, cutting him off. "No way, man, my old man would never let me go near that stuff even if I was a qualified cop with a badge and a loaded gun."

"Then what'd you do?"

"Behind-the-desk crap. If I wasn't printing or copying papers, or delivering random files, I'd be getting everyone's daily dose of coffee and doughnuts." I smiled despite myself. How those cops stayed in shape with all that junk going in their system was beyond me. "Nothing like CSI, I assure you. The job nearly bored me to death, but it paid off pretty well."

He nodded, still looking impressed, but not nearly as impressed as he did when he thought I was handcuffing mobsters, serial killers and drug lords…not that we'd find any in Forks, anyway. "Hey, at least you have _something _to put in an application, right? My dad's been talking about universities _all _summer, even when we were in Fiji-" What'd I tell you? _Ultimate Summer Vacation. _And he just mentioned one place. "-he said I should start taking things seriously."

"But you're doing fine already."

"Grades-wise? Oh no, Ed, I'm doing more than just fine." He sighed dejectedly. "He wants me to do stuff…you know, work or join communities and volunteer here and there, someplace outside school. Leave no empty space on those application, he said. And he really wants me to get a scholarship."

To be honest, Riley and I aren't as close as we sound. Don't get me wrong, he's a pretty cool guy, and we're really good friends, but I don't hang with him as often as I'd do with…let's say, Mike. Still, his dad's pretty famous in town for his fanatic ways when it comes to his children's (four in total, Riley plus a younger sister and two brothers, one older and the other younger by two years) future. I'm serious, the guy is nuts! Last year he pushed his eldest to such a degree that that poor guy was sometimes caught mumbling vehemently in public, or bursting in an uncontrolled fit of laughter in the middle of an assignment he'd be working on in the library.

But hey, as crazy as the guy was, his method actually worked. He got his son all the way to England, to Imperial College if I remember correctly, or some other British university with a really big name.

For all I knew, Riley was probably dreading his turn. According to rumors, his old man had Japan in mind…

I tried an encouraging smile for his sanity's sake. "No worries, man. College is two years from now. You have plenty of time."

He snorted. "Tell that to my old man, I beg of you."

Just then, three girls approached our desk and one of them started talking to Riley, while the other two stared, blushed, giggled, and twirled strands of their hair at him. He kept his attention on the nervous, rapidly speaking girl in the middle, nodding every once in a while and laughing when appropriate.

No, he wasn't doing it on purpose. Besides being a friendly, smart, spontaneous, fun-loving guy, Riley was incredibly handsome. He was really tall and athletic, with glossy, soft-looking sandy locks that reached the nape of his neck, light brown eyes shielded by long pale lashes, a pearly white smile, and _dimples_. Apparently, girls love dimples more than they love puppies.

To be honest, I find dimples on girls extremely attractive…

But that's not the point here.

Riley is a chic-magnet by nature. Girls love him, he can't help it. And the thing is, most of the time he's oblivious towards their infatuation. I guess it's why he's never awkward around the girls that liked him, why he's so open and laid-back, because most of the time he's really unaware.

I nudged him when the girls left. He looked at me questioningly.

I smirked. "That girl you were talking to; she's really cute."

He frowned. "I guess…I wouldn't advise you to tell her, though. She's in Lauren's homeroom class, and as far as I'm concerned, girls don't like it when their boyfriends think of other girls as mildly attractive. Besides, she's got a really nice tan." He grinned mischievously. "She's not going to let you enjoy it when she's pissed, you know."

I shook my head, ignoring the sudden jolt I felt in my chest at the mentioning of Lauren's name. Nice, just when I thought I was starting to think less about her.

I think he noticed, because suddenly he looked confused again. I didn't give him a chance to ask.

"I meant; why don't _you _ask her out?"

"Amanda?" He glanced at the girl. She quickly looked away and blushed, whispering to her other two companions. "No, Ed, it's not like that. She's just a friend. Although-" he paused, his eyes quickly sweeping the room. "-ok, hear this: new girl in town. I met her two weeks ago, when she first moved in two houses away from me. Brunette. Really smart, shy, funny, and cute. Her family seems like the strict type, but I think I can manage…I haven't really asked her out yet, but I helped her move. I think that earned me a few points with the strict mom." He looked thoughtful for a moment. "I'm not sure about that dad, though. Still, you seem to be doing great with Lauren, so I thought I'd get an opinion first. I really don't want to screw it up." He leaned back, intertwining his fingers behind his neck in a casual fashion.

I laughed. It came out really dry, I couldn't help it. "Jesus, Riley, how long have you been out of Forks?" He frowned. I decided to take it as 'all summer long.' "Look man, you're asking the wrong person. You don't need any help." I paused, considering rephrasing that. While it's true that I had no doubt in Riley's luck with women, I still wasn't so sure about the Cullen girl. She seemed like the quiet, reserved type. Not to mention, she was trailing behind her siblings alone…

"Especially from me," I added. "I don't know if you heard, but Lauren and I broke up."

"I did, actually." He only looked mildly shocked. "I just assumed you guys would make it work and get back together in a month or so. You always did that, you somehow made it work."

I nodded slowly, feeling that jolt in my chest again, except this time it was accompanied by a type of pain I couldn't really name. "No, it feels permanent this time."

There, I have said it. It's over for good between Lauren and me. But is that going to stop me from pinning after her like a lovesick puppy? Ha, you seem to forget that I am, and will always be, a _Swan. _

And to think that I have two more years of high school…she's going to start dating again. She's not like me, she's not a pathetic _Swan. _She's strong, not to mention extremely desirable. I know at least a handful of guys that were waiting for us to break up to get a shot with her, and she might refuse them now with respect to me and to what we had, but it's only a matter of time before she runs into one that she'll find interesting…

Riley's hand on my shoulder brought me back to the noisy, lively atmosphere of the classroom. I looked at him, and saw that his eyes had flickered to my clenched fists.

I shook my head, giving him what I hoped to be a happy smile. "I'm sorry, what were you saying?"

It took him a while to look back up at me. "Jesus man, I'm really sorry. I shouldn't have said anything about Lauren. I didn't know, but…God, I feel like such an asshole right now."

I rolled my eyes. "Hey, are you going to start crying on me? This is my favorite T-shirt. I don't want your tears and saliva all over it."

"Dick." He playfully shoved my shoulder, and by playfully I mean nearly knocking me off my chair. "And here I was thinking I'd be nice and sympathetic for once."

I chuckled. "Greatly appreciated, I assure you." I cleared my throat, taking a slightly more serious stand. "Now, about the Cullen girl-"

"Cullen?" He cut in, frowning in confusion again. "What Cullen girl?"

"Dr. Cullen's girl. I saw her and her brothers and sisters just before they got into the principal's office."

He didn't say anything. He stared blankly back, waiting for further explanation.

"_Dude!_"

"_What?_"

"You just said you _liked _her!"

"What? No I didn't! I haven't even met her. Rather, I didn't even know that Dr. Cullen had kids in high school!"

"They're adopted…" I trailed off, thinking that he probably wasn't as interested as I was in their background. "So you're telling me that you've been helping this girl you like move for the past two weeks, and it never occurred to you to ask for her name? Or were you too busy thinking of something else when she said it?"

"Hey, I know her name." He actually looked offended at my implications. "She's not a Cullen. Her dad's not even a doctor. He's a minister."

"W-what?" Now it was my turn to look confused. "Minister?"

He nodded. "I don't think we're talking about the same person."

I laughed. "Yea, I got that from minister."

"Can't blame you. Everyone's so hyped about those Cullens."

"You should've seen them. It was like the Red Carpet out there."

"So I heard." He smiled.

"So, the minister's daughter?"

He blushed lightly. I raised my brows at that. Since when did Riley blush? "You should meet her, man. She's really something." He leaned forward all of a sudden, his face a mixture of alarm and joy. "She's in our school?!"

I was about to ask when the teacher's voice rang clear above everyone else's, releasing strings of apologies and requesting everyone to settle down. He walked in a very disheveled state. Strands of his greying hair were sticking out, drops of coffee stained the collar of his white shirt, and a tower of papers was barely held in his hands. Somehow, he had made it to his desk without dropping a single piece of paper.

Biology looked interesting already.

Two girls followed him, both pale with dark brown hair, except that of the taller was tied into a ponytail. She were slightly skinnier, and wore one of those big dorky glasses that somehow looked cute on dainty girls. Despite being tall, if not slightly awkward, she actually pulled it off…the dorky-but-cute thing, that is.

I took a moment to glance at Riley with one eyebrow raised. I didn't really know his type, but I didn't have someone like her in mind. I honestly expected him to go for a cheerleader.

Very clichéd, I know. I'm in high school, ok? Give me a break.

I easily recognized the shorter girl. She was the odd Cullen brunette that, for some reason, I couldn't really get rid of.

Sounds extreme, doesn't it? Don't freak. You'll get me in a bit.

While Riley's crush was nervously sneaking glances at the whispers, the Cullen girl was pointedly ignoring everyone and staring politely and calmly at the teacher that was still bustling about at his desk. She didn't look like the nervous, intimidated girl I saw in the hall- rather, she looked more like her siblings; calm, fearless and elegant.

You know, except for her clothes. They were still casual compared to theirs.

It got me thinking: What brought on this sudden change in such a short period of time? Did she become friends with the other new girl already? Judging from the body language, I'd have to say no. Not yet, at least.

"Alright class," the teacher began, when he was one hundred percent sure that he looked presentable again, with stray locks pushed back and shirt straightened for the hundredth time. "My name is Mr. Banner. I have been teaching the sciences in three different schools for the last fifteen years, one them happened to be in…" I ignored the rest of it. Yea, I know, its rude, but it's not like he's ever going to find out. I got his name. That should be enough, right?

Besides, I don't think Riley even bothered with his name. He actually looked very excited. He was waiting for the girl to spot him, but she was so shy she wouldn't lift her eyes from the ground.

I looked at the Cullen girl. Her attention was still at Mr. Banner, looking like she was listening intently to the brief introduction that we all have secretly learned by heart due to the repetition of it by every teacher each year.

When he was done introducing herself, he drove the attention back to the new girls, asking them both to introduce themselves, starting with Riley's crush. I think I heard her squeak.

She cleared her throat, and struggled to meet everyone's eyes, and when she finally did I understood the reason behind Riley's interest. I could see even behind the thick frame of her glasses that she had extraordinarily innocent, deer-like eyes. She wasn't just cute, she was the type of girl guys secretly dream about. You know, the damsel-in-distress that always needs protection, and that just wants to be held and kissed.

Ha, and you thought we all wanted Playboy bunnies!

…or maybe it's just me?

"M-my name is Angela W-Weber," she said. She finally caught Riley, and as soon as she did she looked more relaxed. He grinned at her, and she smiled widely, now encouraged to speak with a familiar face in the crowd. "I live with my parents. My mom is a housewife, my dad is a minister. I have two younger brothers. I'm a photographer- well, an amateur." The class chuckled lightly. Cullen girl's lips twitched into a smile. "But one day I hope to become a professional."

"That's lovely," said Mr. Banner, turning to Cullen girl. "And you must be Isabella Cullen."

"B-Bella," she said in a low voice. She cleared her throat. "I-I prefer to be called Bella."

He nodded. "Alright Bella, tell us about yourself."

For a moment she looked confused by the question, if not a little scared.

I blinked and she was her confident self again.

Still, it's probably just me, but I felt like she was being extra careful with every word she used.

"My name is Bella Cullen," she said, her beautiful face dead serious. "I live with my adoptive parents and my siblings. They're adopted as well." She added the last as an afterthought.

And then she stopped there, allowing a lengthy, awkward moment of silence to settle. We waited for her to continue. She stared blankly back, and if she hadn't turned back to Mr. Banner we would've probably continued to wait.

The teacher in question shook his head. "Do you have any hobbies, Miss Cullen?"

She didn't answer right away. Again, she had that startled, cautious look. "I like…to read." She seemed to have decided. "Classic literature. Weathering Heights is one of my favorites, followed by Romeo and Juliet."

Mr. Banner nodded slowly, probably feeling as awkward about the situation. He hesitated, before deciding that he should just skip to his next point and end it there. "Well, young ladies, I have looked into your old schools' curriculum with headmaster Greene, and I'm afraid that this school's lab work is slightly more advanced. So I'll have to separate you two for now and pair you up with old students." His beady eyes scanned the class- it was full already. We were all evenly paired. "Any volunteers?"

Riley was quick to seize the opportunity.

"It's been an honor, Ed." He whispered hurriedly before boldly getting up and quickly gathering his stuff. "I got this, Mr. B."

Mr. Banner raised a brow. Poor guy didn't know Riley well enough.

The thing about Riley is that if he wants something, he'd do whatever it takes to get it, and he wouldn't give anyone a chance to try and take it from him. It's not like he saw Angela as a trophy to be won, he was just a naturally competitive person. Some of that probably comes from his upbringing, because I found traces of the same trait in his younger siblings and loads of it in his father.

"It's Mr. _Banner_, Mr.-"

"Riley Biers," he replied, tipping off his imaginary hat.

And just like that, Riley had won him over.

Mr. Banner chuckled. "Because it's your first day back, Mr. Biers, I'll let it slide. And I'm guessing you'd want Miss Weber to be your new lab partner?"

Riley stopped mid-stride and laughed, blushing lightly and stepping back from Angela. "You're the teacher. I'm polite enough to let you decide."

Angela bashfully bowed her head.

Mr. Banner shook his head, looking amused yet slightly exasperated. He gestured for Angela to follow Riley to the two empty desks in the front row.

He suddenly looked at me, and I straightened up on instinct. He smiled warmly. "Your name, young man?"

"Ed Swan," I said.

"Edward," he turned back to Bella, ignoring the glare I shot at his direction. Why do people ignore me when I say that I really _hate _my name? "Meet Miss Cullen, your new lab partner."

On second thought, screw the name.

* * *

><p><strong>Not much of an update, I know, especially when it's centered more on Riley, who's supposed to be a supporting character. But the thing is, he's not just a supporting character. Riley is a <em>very <em>important character in this reversed, AU version, and not just for the obvious reasons that led to Eclipse. This chapter is an introduction. He'll eventually disappear in a sea of minor characters for a very long time, but do keep him in mind, because he will make a sudden, long-lasting appearance when the time is right. **

**I know the story's pace feels slow, but no worries! Starting from the next chapter, things will start going faster- but not too fast! Other characters will make an appearance, and it'll soon get serious, I promise :P **

**Anyway, thank you so much for taking the time to read, and to those lovely readers that reviewed the previous chapters :D I know I didn't show it, but you guys really did make me smile :D I appreciate it! **


	4. Was Biology Always This Interesting?

If I was asked to list the skills I took pride in, I'd start and stick with the first I could think of, which also happens to be my strongest: reading people. They were like books to me. I could understand their character more deeply and as simply as flipping a page of a book, and sometimes I didn't even need to talk to them. Facial expressions and body language would usually suffice if my aim was a basic outline.

I'm not sure of the source of my inheritance of that specific talent. My father is a sharp man, but he doesn't analyze people unless if they were under suspicion or being interrogated. He feels that he's invading their privacy- and I just _love _how that doesn't apply to me. Yes, yes, its one of the shortcomings of having a cop for a father. –so he tries not to, unless if he really had to. And my mother…well, I can't really say much about her.

It doesn't matter, I guess. It doesn't always relate to genes. I'm just really, really observant. Still, even if I had eternity to observe Bella Cullen, I don't think I'd ever come close to reading a sentence that defines a tiny portion of her character.

She was a lot stranger than I thought. At first I assumed her to be bipolar or something, but then…

It's just too hard to explain.

This feels too weird for me. I was never faced with a mysterious person sheltered by an exceedingly rough, guarded surface. Sure, I can't _always _understand _everyone_, but I usually always have a starting point, you know? Sometimes I can't get any further, but I still have _something _to analyze. With Bella it's just…

This is not making any sense, I'm sure, because even _I _can't explain it without trailing off every few sentences. Let's get back to Biology.

Mr. Banner directed her to Riley's old seat, just before turning back to scribble on the blackboard, and when she looked at me she lost her hold on herself and became that intimidated new girl I saw in the hallway.

For some reason something about me shocked her. She had frozen midway, and the frightened way in which she looked at me made me feel like we were trapped in a cage, where she, the lamb, was cornered by me, the hungry lion

(Don't you dare! My hair is not _entirely _red, or as big and bushy as a lion's. No, don't even think about cracking a joke. I've heard enough from the guys.)

At first I assumed that I had a scary expression on my face due to my last conversation with Riley about Lauren, and partly due to my concerns of her dating other guys. I must have scared her, and that coupled with greater consideration on her generally being intimidated by foreign surroundings (eh, sort of. She came from Alaska, which is still America.) made me feel like a real douche, so I gave her the friendliest smile I could come up with. But I had somehow made things worse, because for a split second an anguished expression leaked into her face. if I blinked I'm sure I would've missed it, and I could've sworn that in that split second I saw her eyes glistening with tears that expressed too much grief for a seventeen year old to carry.

I glanced around myself. Was she being harassed by one of the guys? Were the girls throwing her nasty looks? Hey, I know its Forks, but it's still high school. Here kids are ten times crueler, especially to newcomers.

Except no one was giving her a reason to look upset. If anything, they looked absolutely taken by her, even though she wasn't as fancily dressed as her siblings, nor did she look as confident and seductive.

By the time she reached Riley's- or, rather, her new desk, her expression was blank again, though I didn't fail to notice her hesitation as she dropped her bag on the floor and sat on the chair, giving me a quick glance before turning away and _very slowly _rummaging through her bag for a notebook and a pen.

…What the hell?

I glanced at Riley. He was blissfully unaware of my condition, happily chattering away with Angela and being anything but aware of that Amanda chic and her cohorts giving Angela looks I wouldn't call 'friendly'. I'd feel sorry for her, but she was too engrossed in whatever Riley was talking about that she hardy noticed them. She was actually conversing with him as energetically as he was, seeming to have completely forgotten about being a new student in a new school.

Well, at least one of us is doing fine…

I shook my head. My Annoying Swan Senses were tingling. _You scared her. It's un-Swan-like and it's ungentlemanly. Fix it! _they screeched.

And so I did.

No, actually, I didn't. But I did try. Honestly, I did.

I only had to apologize. How could I have screwed _that_ up, you might ask? Ok, here's what happened:

"Hi," I said, still smiling like a moron, when she was done fishing out her notebooks and whatnot. "Bella, right?" I extended my hand for her to shake. "Ed Swan." _Not freakin' Edward, _I wanted to add but thought better of it. I was trying to un-scare her, after all.

Very slowly, she turned towards me in the same expressionless manner. She looked at my face, and then slowly down at my extended hand hanging awkwardly in the air between us. Her dark eyebrows knitted slightly. She pursed her lips and tilted her head an inch (less than an inch, I'd say. You had to be as close as I to notice.) as if the gesture was too foreign for her to understand.

…What part of Alaska was she from? I met an Alaskan once. He did shake my hand. Rather vigorously, I might add.

I gave her a couple of minuets. She didn't respond, or moved to shake my hand, so I swiftly pulled back. She didn't exactly jump at the gesture, but she was definitely startled, and as if shaken out of her trance, she looked back up at me with a sort of apologetic look on her face (and I say sort of because I _really _can't read her, and that's the closest I could come up with.). She opened her mouth to speak, but then seemed to have thought better of it and clamped it shut.

"Are you ok?" I blurted without thinking.

"Y-yes," she said, her voice too hoarse and dry. And then that pained, grieved expression returned. "Yes," she repeated in a louder, clearer voice before swiftly turning away from me. "I'm fine."

At that point I realized that my mouth was hanging open. I clamped it shut, inwardly cursing myself, before putting on another smile and opening it again. She didn't seem to be in the mood though, because as soon as I did she leaned forward on her desk and curtained the side of her face visible to me with her thick brown curls.

Mr. Banner was talking again, but I wasn't listening. I didn't talk to Bella. I kept my eyes forcefully on Mr. Banner pacing and gesturing, but I still felt her eyes on me. I was tempted to steal a quick glance, just to make sure, but I held my ground. I didn't know what offended her about me, or what I could've done in the few seconds we talked that made her so upset she wouldn't want to talk to me. It made me feel really, _really _bad.

Besides being a Swan, remember that I was raised by one, and that one Swan drilled this into my mind from a very young age: you just don't hurt a girl. And if you did, intentionally or not, you don't walk away, not until she forgives you.

As much as I admire my father, and as much as I'm thankful for him, I'm still not so happy with him leaving out the part about said girl being too strange and difficult to approach. Not to mention, I have no idea what I'm supposed to be apologizing for, only that I should. Preferably now.

I finally gave in to temptation and glanced at her- yes, she was staring with the same cute confused expression she's been wearing around me. I tried smiling again, but she only looked sadly back before turning away and letting her mane of brown tumble over her shoulders and create a barrier between us.

I turned back to Mr. Banner with a sigh. Was he even aware that neither one of us was paying attention to a single word that came out of his mouth?

Also, you will forget about my calling Bella cute. I mean, she's obviously more than just cute, but- I'm a guy, ok? There's nothing wrong with admiring pretty girls from afar. I know that girls do it, even when they already are in a relationship.

And I'm not getting defensive. I'm just stating facts. Nor am I in denial. You're enjoying this, aren't you?

Maybe I'm just overthinking things. She's probably just trying to make a good first impression, and is afraid of screwing up. She didn't really looked that scared with Mr. Banner, but…

I glanced at her from the corner of my eyes. She was no longer looking at me. She was scribbling in her notebook, and her hair pretty much covered her up, but I was still able to detect the tense rigidity of her shoulders, and the way her fingers clutched the pen. I think I stopped at her hand clutching the pen. Her hold one it was so tight. I'm surprised it didn't snap in half and soil her porcelain skin with ink.

Something's up, I decided. There's a difference between being sad and being afraid, and there are limits to both for a new student, regardless of the place he or she comes from. I can understand fear. It's her misery that's confusing me.

Did someone die in her family? Her siblings looked fine to me. The blond guy was a little edgy, but not at all sad.

Did someone hurt her?

The bell rang, signaling the end of the period and of my musings. I tried to pull of a Riley and talk it out of her, but the moment Mr. Banner dismissed the class she swiftly gathered her belongings and was out the door before anyone else moved. Mr. Banner raised a thick, grey brow at the now empty doorway before looking at me with the same questioning look. I shrugged. What else could I have said? _I really_ _didn't know! _

And apparently I was not the only one that noticed.

"Dude, what'd you do?" Mike asked when he and Jessica caught up with me. "Did you stab her with a pencil or something?"

Jessica elbowed him. "It's not funny!"

"I'm not laughing!"

"I didn't do anything," I said, shoving more books into my locker.

"Spit it out," she insisted, glaring up at me. "What did you say to her?"

"_Nothing-" _I sighed. "Can we just drop it?"

"Ed, she looked like she was about to burst into tears."

I paused. Great, now I felt even guiltier, and I still don't know why. "Was it really that bad?"

"No shit," she pulled me away from the lockers when I locked mine. "Now tell me. What did you say to her? This is so unlike you, Ed. I thought you were nice-"

"I _am _nice." I pulled my arm out of her manicured grip. Why did girls get manicures, anyway? I thought pepper sprays were more effective, not to mention less bloody. "And that's the thing. I said hi, and then I smiled. That's _it!" _

"You know," Mike cut in. "Maybe smiling in Alaska is like saying 'fuck you, you smell', or some shit like that."

Jessica rolled her eyes. "She's not even Alaskan to begin with. The Cullens lived there with their distant cousins for a couple of years, and before then she was in Texas, Manhattan, and Vancouver."

Where does she get this stuff from, anyway? Jessica should definitely become a journalist for a major news network, like the BBC or CNN. She'd prosper, and make all the great journalists look like twelve-year-olds whining on Facebook over some cheesy boy band member going to rehab.

"Vancouver as in _Canada?!" _Mike nearly chocked.

"No, Mike, Vancouver as in the freakin' North Pole."

"Isn't it weird that Dr. Cullen moves a lot?" I said just as they were about to start with their daily banter. "You know, for a doctor?"

They didn't have an answer to that. Jessica looked like she was beginning to _really _think about it, but then Mike started talking about lunch and we were both suddenly very, very hungry.

Except I didn't get to eat. I don't blame Bella for my sudden loss of appetite. I blame my sir name being more than just a damn sir name.

Just as we were about to enter the canteen, the tiny Cullen with spiky hair rushed past us, dragging a very distressed looking Bella with her. The jovial smile that she carried earlier on her elfin face was replaced by concern, and on their way out she threw me a quick look that she didn't give me enough time to read before taking the turn towards the school's parking lot.

I stared after them helplessly and in utter confusion. _The hell did I do to her?! _

"Seriously man," I heard Mike say, sounding just as baffled and repeating the exact same question I just thought of. "What the hell did you do to Bella Cullen?"

I did nothing. While Riley had the power to attract women, I apparently have to power to repulse them. Or scare them. Or maybe its just Bella…

I shook my head, walking away from my friends and towards the canteen. I heard them catching up. I felt Jessica giving me a quick sideway hug.

"Don't worry about her, Ed," she said. "I'm sure you didn't mean to."

Didn't mean to _what,_ I wonder?

I didn't ask, though. I ruffled her hair instead. She complained, something about waking up really early just to get her hair done, but I barely listened to it. I didn't mean to ignore her, and she'll probably kill me later when she notices. It's not just Bella this time- I caught her siblings sitting alone in a table dragged towards the farthest corner of the cafeteria, probably done by them in hopes of staying out of anyone's line of view. Their plan obviously failed. They were too beautiful for anyone _not _to notice them.

But that's not the point I' trying to make. They were staring at our table with a shared grim expression on their faces. Their trays were right in front of them, full but untouched. I picked at whatever plate I grabbed and tried my hardest to ignore them.

My table was full. Besides Mike and Jessica, there was Eric, Tyler, Ben, Lauren, and Riley and Angela that have just joined us. They can't be staring at me, I thought. We were one of the biggest groups in the room. They were probably just amazed, or puzzled, or whatever. Besides, we haven't been officially introduced. They have no reason to stare at me…right?

Right. I'm simply overthinking things.


End file.
